One Good Turn Deserves Another

A Look Into Woodworking

                Ever wonder how beautiful, hand-crafted wooden bowls, platters or other art objects are created? How does it all start and what does it take to do it?

                To learn something about this fantastic art, I visited with Bill Monsma, president of the Smith Mountain Lake Woodturners, and Jim Cameron, who together with Johnny Weaver, Tom McDermet and Ed Moore, founded the group in March of 2003. The five founders belonged to the Blue Ridge Woodturners and got an idea to start a group at the Lake. They held an organization meeting; 35 people attended and the group has been going strong ever since.

                The Woodturners meet on the second Tuesday of every month from 7 to 9 p.m. at the old Scruggs Fire Department on Bluewater Drive to share ideas, techniques and conduct artistic demonstrations. They welcome visitors and are always looking for new members.

                “We are open to beginners and professionals and more than willing to help a new turner or introduce an interested person to the art,” Bill said.

                The SML Woodturners are members of the American Association of Woodturners, an international, non-profit organization with 251 chapters worldwide, including nine in Virginia. The organization is dedicated to furthering woodturning through its quarterly magazine, artistic demonstrations, by providing grants and scholarships to clubs and schools for equipment, and conducting national turning seminars around the country to support regional clubs. The art is also being furthered by schools offering a wide variety of courses in the arts, including wood, ceramic, jewelry and textiles. Two such schools in the area are John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, N.C., and Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

                According to Jim, “There are two basic types of wood turnings: Functional, which includes bowls and three-legged stools; and non-functional, which are artistic, decorative pieces such as Christmas tree ornaments. These, in turn, can be categorized as ‘spindle-type,’ creating items such as pens and stool legs, or ‘bowel-type’ turnings, creating pieces such as bowls, platters and plates. Woodturning is an individually learned art gained through personal experience. In most cases, you have no pattern as in furniture making. What you see in the wood, such as grain or burl, can direct the turner. But most importantly, the tools must be sharp!” 

                Jim said he thought more artistry in the craft exists today than ever before.

                “Many times an artist will turn an item and then, in conjunction, use carving to add a decorative flare, or apply a marbling technique to add color to the finished piece,” he said.

                According to Bill Monsma, woodturners are always looking for hardwood and asking themselves, “What can I do with this?” There are two basic sources of wood – local, fresh-cut varieties such as native maple, oak, plum, apple, cherry, walnut or ash, and kiln-dried exotic woods. Wood can be bought, sold or shared. Woodturners always keep an eye out for hardwood trees that are coming down. A good source is AEP. If they are cutting, the club passes the word and shares the harvest.

                “It’s important to get the wood fresh before it begins to dry out and crack,” Bill explained. “The fresh wood is then sealed and dried using several slow drying techniques to prevent cracking. A local favorite wood is Ambrosia Maple. Its unique color patterns are created by a bug that bores into the wood and leaves a stain which, when turned and finished, creates a beautiful artistic result.”